If you usually have a travel partner (spouse, SO, friend .....) do you prefer to travel just the two of you or do you much rather if you have a big group of family and/or friends? What is the best about traveling with others? The worst?

I like to travel just the 2 of us by far. Friends and family are great, but when I go on vacation, I want to be alone and enjoy our time. I don't like to have to coordinate everything and everyone and listen to any whining. We like to do what we want to do and when we want to do it.

Having been there and done that with friends, I prefer to cruise with just my wife and I. We sailed with a friend of mine ( and his wife ) that I worked with several times and it really was a strain at times. Finally just quit traveling with them. I think they got their feeling hurt but I won't pay what it takes to cruise with someone I can't be comfortable with. His wife was a complainer of all things, big and small.
I haven't sailed with any family yet but have a cruise coming up in Sept. with wife's sister and her hubby ( their first ).
I look forward to that a lot as we are all close and very good friends as well as family.

A large group would be nice espicially if it family, I have a large family
and i am trying to do group cruise but its hard to find a time that is suitable to everybody and what cruise line to take and where to go.
its a lot easier when I go alone.

We have gone in a large group once and with another couple once. For me, the groups were fun at dinner. On long sea days, if I don't have anything planned, running into friends at various places in the ship is fun.

However, on both those trips, one person was always complaining, so we will probable stick to just the two of us, and every once in awhile go as a group.

If you usually have a travel partner (spouse, SO, friend .....) do you prefer to travel just the two of you or do you much rather if you have a big group of family and/or friends? What is the best about traveling with others? The worst?

While it's nice having a traveling companion, I think it all depends on the cruise. If I were doing something very long, I think I would prefer to have my own cabin and technically be traveling on my own. But, I like the best of both worlds. I'd also like there to be a very friendly group of CruiseMates onboard ... and CruiseCritics ... that I can share the good times with.

The only problem I have with traveling with family and friends is that often you are in a position where you feel that you are responsible for the other person's good times. I know I get concerned if someone I am with is unhappy, and I feel that I need to try and make sure they are having fun. Of course, some people are gonna be unhappy no matter what you do for them, but still I feel that if the person I am with is unhappy, it's eventually gonna rub off on me and I too will be unhappy. So, I feel like I always have to be "up" when I am traveling with others. I can't just let my hair down and relax. So that's why on a long cruise I prefer often to travel on my own where it's only my needs that I have to worry about.

But on the flip side, when you travel alone, you often get lonely. Yes, you could have a group of likeminded cruise buddies onboard, but still they are within their own family or friends groups ... and you're not always gonna be a part of that. So, that's definitely a downside of traveling alone.

But I guess the short answer to your question is that it would depend on the cruise. If it was something short (14 to 20 days or less) then yes, traveling with a friend or family member could be fun. But if it was a long cruise (30 days or more), I think I'd kinda like to go it alone ... at least as far as the cabin is concerned.

Interesting post. I have only been on two cruises so far. the first was a cruisetour in Alaska where we met and bonded with 6 people, which we are still friends with. Last year we cruised in Canada with 4 of the six and had a ball. Next year the same group of us are touring Northern Europe and anticipating a ball. It really is fun traveling with like-minded people, people that understand if you want alone time or not. This fall we are cruising, just the two of us. I will report back after that which is easier. One thing,,my wife really doesn't care for the shows at night so with the group I always have someone to go to them with.

We're relatively new to cruising and prefer to travel as a couple. We have good friends who have suggested travelling together, but in fact we value their friendship too much to risk extended travel together, in spite of all the opportunities on a large ship to 'do your own thing.'

We make too many last minute changes in plans to be able to happily co-ordinate with others.

We've been fortunate in always finding pleasant dining companions both in fixed seating and free style.

We have gone on one cruise with a group and just booked another. It's a cruise w/ a particular needlearts teacher who has an extended family of what we call " Susan's groupies." The group will be different on this cruise from the last one. Depends on who wants this itinerary, who can get away at that time, who's got the money, etc. We meet for classes on sea days and eat together every evening. Otherwise we go our separate ways. DH and I have also gone on cruises alone. Both are good. We are going on a 3-day over New Years w/ our son and daughter and their spouses. First time to go w/ family. Will report back.

MY DH and I have cruised about 10 times and have experienced all three options. Traveling with friends was fun because we did some things together but also did our own thing when we wanted. We always met up for dinner and discussed our adventures. It has also been fun when we get together at home and reminiscence about our trips. We also have gone by ourselves and met some wonderful people at our table from different cities and countries. On our Panama trip we met two couples from England that we had a great time with and participated in the "scavenger hunt" with them. We never would have met them if we had gone with a group. Although our best trip was a family trip to Bermuda with our son and daughter and their spouses. I would never trade that for any trip in the world. I think you have to decide how well you get along with others that may go with you and how flexible everyone can be with regards to excursions, dining options, etc. And if you go by yourselves be open to meeting new people but be aware that you may meet people that are not your cup of tea, so to speak, but there will plenty of others that are interesting and nice.

We always have friends with us. It is good to have someone to sit down to dinner with and maybe have some drinks with. No problem so far getting along as we usually do our own thing on tours, etc. We talk up our cruises with the others weeks or months before the cruise which really builds up the excitement.

We have done both and enjoyed both. For the most part I would have to say the two of us unless our traveling companion is the lovely and talented Ms. Kryos

we have traveled all ways, family, friends and i have traveled without DH but with DDs or friends. Each has it's advantages. One thing I like about leaving him home: I am a casino lover, he could care less when on a cruise. This creates a problem, he will sometimes just go to the cabin and pout, I, on the ontherhand am not as considerate of him as I could be. Other than that we love traveling together period. My Dd will just do her own thing if she doesn't want to spend time in the casino. Dh is fine when we travel with family cause he has them to keep him company.

My wife and I like the variety and like to mix them up. There is nothing like cruising with a group of wonderful friends and like minded cruisers. It is fun to meet at dinner, have get togethers and enjoy each others company at the different lounges, shows and games. Both my wife and I are quite social, especially my wife, so it is good for us. We have made some great and life long friends on Cruisemates and non-Cruisemates cruises.

On the other hand we also love to cruise when it's just the two of us. Even on group cruises we do our own thing off the ship. We don't quite "fit in" when it comes to sight seeing and go off the beaten path and enjoy seeing things more than just the standard sights and love eating at out of the way places and have had some problems with traveling with others who thought that they would die from eating at someplace other than Margaritaville or thought that a fish market was a death trap.
We also do private excursions because of our enjoyment of doing our own thing and also because I have some health issues that may require that I terminate the day early.

We do spend a lot time together at home but there is nothing better than spending time together when you are on a cruise.

Take care,
Mike

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I've done both. When I've traveled with a companion I have enjoyed being just with that person, and knowing no one else aboard, and I've enjoyed being in a larger group of family or cruising friends. It's hard to say which I prefer, but being a people-person I think it would have to be with groups. When I travel alone I really DO like to travel with friends, even though I'm in a cabin by myself.